


PUT OUT THE FIRE

by orphan_account



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Canon Universe, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Heavy Angst, Implied Taejun, One Shot, library fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 17:15:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21165251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Taehyun relives the moment he lost four peers in a school library fire.





	PUT OUT THE FIRE

**Author's Note:**

> A re-imagining of the library fire implied in Run Away.

Taehyun doesn’t know how to use a fire extinguisher. He vaguely recalls one lesson in elementary school, but the instructions are lost in the fugue of adult, red, cool, large, smoke— exciting elements that only a child cares about. An extinguisher in his adult hands feels much too real. More adult than adult, redder than red, almost frigid, and heavy. Not large. Heavy. The thing only serves one purpose. One job. Don’t fuck it up, Taehyun. Don’t slip, Taehyun. Don’t run, Taehyun. Don’t run, Taehyun. Don’t run, Taehyun. Don’t run. Don’t run. Don’t run. He runs past the extinguisher on his way up to the library. Doesn’t think.

A wall of fire separates him from Beomgyu, precious Beomgyu who waves books at the fire, precious Beomgyu who screams, cries for his mother. He looks so young. He is so young.

Taehyun can’t bring himself to look at the gurgling body of fire that was once Kai.

Soobin’s skin looks like melting ice cream, liquefying as he uses his school jacket to whip the flames away, cough like something from an exhaust engine. Taehyun can almost imagine the blackness that must be coating his senior’s lungs.

Yeonjun stares directly at Taehyun with that heavy look. That beautiful boy, the boy whom Taehyun loved for three years, still loves, is the most damned of them. He stands far off, the flames cornering him. Taehyun can’t hear him. Can’t hear himself over the sound of Hell. Does he scream? Does he even cry?

But Yeonjun looks scared. Taehyun cannot erase that look of wild panic from his mind. Yeonjun looks from Taehyun to the nearby window. In the far distance, sirens wail.

It’ll be too late for that.

Yeonjun lifts his hand, a gesture of good will. Runs to the window. Steps onto the sill from the floor. The fifth floor.

Taehyun wonders what it must be like to stand on the ground for the last time. He thinks he can imagine.

He deserves to.


End file.
